Windows monitor drivers can't install correctly

[GalacticCow]

Hello, I'm new to these forums, but I hope that you can help me with my issue.

I recently got a second monitor and have been trying to get the two monitors to work in "extend" mode, where you drag the mouse off of one side to get to the other monitor.

The two monitors are a Viewsonic VA2037a-LED, and an AOC e2051Sn.

My graphics card is an AMD Radeon R7 200 series.

My current setup is as follows: I have a VGA Y-splitter connected to the Graphics card VGA port. Attached on the Y-end of the Y-splitter are the two monitors. It looks like this:



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Here is my issue, and it's a bit complicated. Basically, Windows only recognizes this as *one* monitor. Both monitors work fine -- they act like they're mirrored right now. But that's because Windows only recognizes this as *one* monitor, rather than *two*. Hitting Detect does nothing, and hitting Identify shows the big "1" on both monitors.

It gets more interesting though. In the device manager, I can only find ONE monitor "installed", a "Generic Non-PnP Monitor". Looking at the driver location (C:/Windows/System32/monitor.sys), it's likely that Windows is just throwing the default monitor driver it has at anything that comes through the VGA port.

In trying to fix the problem, I came to, of course, reinstalling drivers. First, I reinstalled my GPU driver. Next, I began to try to install the ViewSonic driver from the CD it came with (the Viewsonic is the new driver). At this point, I came to a huge problem. The driver installer failed and told me to manually install it instead. This entailed going into the Device Manager, selecting the monitor, clicking "Update driver Software", clicking "Browse", and selecting the driver folder from the CD. However, when I do this, the Device Manager tells me that "The best driver software for your device is already installed". This also happens when I try to reinstall the AOC drivers. I have tried this with one monitor plugged in and the other not, and with both plugged in.

That's my issue. I've scoured the internet for help with this problem, but I can't find any help whatsoever. Hopefully I can find help here. Thank you!

 

[asvent]

This is normal. Just connecting a y-splitter cable to a single port isn't going to be enough. Each monitor needs a dedicated output port to have an independent display. In some cases a video card will have a specialized single port that can drive two independent displays with a specialized cable, but it doesn't sound like yours is one of those.

Also, there are no drivers for monitors, and what most people think of as drivers are just color profiles. So you're wasting your time on that one. PC to monitor communication is one-way, meaning there's no need for a driver. The only real exceptions might be if a monitor has a built-in webcam or some such.

What you need to do is dump the y-splitter and connect each monitor via its own port on the video card. With LCD monitors, DVI, HDMI or DisplayPort is by far preferable to VGA. The only way a y-splitter would work is if you're using the one provided along with the video card designed specifically for that kind of function. Just attaching a y-splitter on a normal VGA port will get you exactly what you describe. I will also save you some time, trouble and probably expense by telling you that you shouldn't bother trying any DVI to VGA adapters or something similar. You can't convert a digital signal to analog just by rerouting some pins in an adapter.

 

[Helmut]

Wrong setup, you cannot do it that way.

You need to plug in the Monitors to separate video outputs on your Graphics Card. Two completely separate leads.

VGA should not be used these days it's analogue only. DVI-D and HDMI are the usual digital connections these days. Display Port is as yet not very common.

Those 2 separate leads will depend on the sockets that are available on each Monitor and your Graphics Card. They must connect to 2 different computer Graphics Card outputs not 1.

 

[GalacticCow]

Thank you, asvent and Helmut.

asvent, you mentioned not to go looking for an HDMI to VGA adapter because you would have to turn digital to analog. What about active adapters like http://www.amazon.com/HDE-Converter...415741246&sr=1-14&keywords=Active+HDMI+to+VGA ? From the sound of it, all you need is a small converter box like this to make it work.

 

[asvent]

Active adapters will work, passive will generally not. There are always exceptions, but it's not worth getting into.

 

[CountMike]

Be advised, new video cards do not support two VGA only monitors at same time.

 

[Itaregid]

Also, there are no drivers for monitors, and what most people think of as drivers are just color profiles.

Close, but not exactly. asvent is right that there are no "real" drivers for monitors. This is because operating systems don't communicate with monitors, they communicate with the graphics cards. This is why you cannot install "drivers" for both your monitors - 2 monitors through a splitter is still seen as 1 monitor.

You either need to use a card (or integrated) that support multiple monitors, or you need to install a second graphics card (just ensure your power supply is large enough for the significantly increased power demands).

The "so-called" drivers for monitors do 2 things. (1) They report their brand and model number to the OS so you don't see it in Device Manager as "Generic non-PnP Monitor". And (2), it tells the OS what resolutions it does NOT support. That is, it grays out the non-supported resolutions. In other words, as asvent noted, monitor drivers don't really do anything.

All a splitter does is send the SAME signal to two monitor. So if you want to extend your desktop across both monitors (so you can have different programs and opened windows on each display) you have no choice but send DIFFERENT signals to each monitor. And that can only be done with a graphics solution (card or integrated) that supports two graphics outputs with 2 cards, or 1 card and your motherboard's integrated, or your motherboards integrated (if it supports two graphics outputs). My recommendation for best performance would be a solution that does NOT involve using the motherboard's integrated graphics as integrated graphics solutions typically steal... err... "share" a significant chunk of system RAM for graphics processing. Graphics cards come with their own supply of RAM.

As far as adapters, HDMI to DVI (or DVI to HDMI) are passive, inexpensive and do NOT degrade performance because the digital signal carried with both is exactly the same. So the signal is just passed through. But VGA is analog. And to convert analog to digital (or digital to analog) requires an "active" (intelligent) adapter that adds costs, and room for degradation. So going digital all the way is definitely preferred. But if you go digital to one monitor and VGA to the other, it will still work.

And with two graphics solutions driving two monitors, you will be able to tell Windows how to communicate with both solutions. And from there, you can tell Windows to "extend" (not duplicate) the desktop across both monitors.

BTW, I have been using a multi-monitor setup on my personal computers since Windows 98 and don't understand how anyone can live with just one monitor, let alone a tiny smart phone monitor.

 

[CountMike]

Actually, there may be some 2 way communication between monitor and computer. Most modern monitors have EDID (Extended Display Identification Data) that informs GPU drivers and system of monitor's capabilities. Some have also light and other sensors that convey data to computer and enable light controls. Most of that is possible mostly with digital data transfer. VGA (D15) is analog.

 

[asvent]

BTW, I have been using a multi-monitor setup on my personal computers since Windows 98 and don't understand how anyone can live with just one monitor, let alone a tiny smart phone monitor.

We may not agree on a lot of things, but I am absolutely 100% with you on that one. I can barely tolerate using my phone to do some quick comparison shopping in a store. Trying to use it as my primary device... <shudder> I had a hard enough time at work when for a year I had to suffer through with 2x20" monitors that had the obnoxious resolution of like 1440x900. Now I have 2x23" 1920x1200 displays and they'll have to pry them from my cold dead fingers.

Actually, there may be some 2 way communication between monitor and computer. Most modern monitors have EDID (Extended Display Identification Data) that informs GPU drivers and system of monitor's capabilities. Some have also light and other sensors that convey data to computer and enable light controls. Most of that is possible mostly with digital data transfer. VGA (D15) is analog.

I'm wordy enough as it is, so in an effort to condense things, I'll leave out certain fringe details like EDID. I also left out things like ethernet over HDMI, which would obviously require some 2-way communication. While it may not be true in the strictest sense, for all intents and purposes, video is one-way. The video card sends data to the monitor and the monitor just blindly displays whatever it's told to. For probably over 99.9999% of situations the EDID chatter is irrelevant.

 

[Itaregid]

We may not agree on a lot of things, but I am absolutely 100% with you on that one.

Well, good to know you do have some redeeming qualities then!

Actually, there may be some 2 way communication between monitor and computer.

I did not say there was no communication between the monitor and computer. I said monitor and Windows and I stand by that.

The graphics solution is an integral part of the "computer". The OS facilitates communications between the hardware devices. This includes between the monitor and graphics solution. So Windows communicates with the graphics solution, and the graphics solution communicates with the monitor.

 

[CountMike]

Darn it, now we are nit picking and it's not a part of the solution to OP's problem but... The "Graphic solution" could be considered whole computer because even GPU can't work without the whole computer and every bit of it has something to do with a picture on the screen (monitor). Monitor's capabilities have to be known, one way or the other. EDID is reporting that by communicating with system makes it easier and more accurate. In some way it's makes it Plug and Play (some would say pray) which we all know facilitates setting and use of any computer part.